A boy prays at the burial site of the Naga Landslide victims at the city’s Naalad Public Cemetery on All Saints Day on Nov. 1, 2019. |CDND Photo/Gerard Vincent Francisco
CITY OF NAGA, Cebu — Although unsure if it was really his cousin whom they have laid to rest, Florentino Dublin lighted candles and offered prayers in front of the tomb of Valentina Geonzon.
While her body was never found, Geonzon was among those in the list of 78 fatalities in the massive landslide that hit Barangay Tinaan in Naga City in September 2018. Geonzon was 50 years old.
“Tiil na man lang ni ang among gilubong maong kaduda-dudahan pa kung siya ba gyud. Wala may ebidensya pud nga buhi siya maong ampoan na lang namo,” Dublin told CDN Digital when the team chanced upon him at the Naalad Public Cemetery this Friday, November 1.
(We only recovered her lower limbs that’s why we are not even sure if it was really her. Since we don’t have any proof that she survived, we offer prayers for the repose of her soul.)
According to Dublin, Geonzon lived with her family in Barangay Colon in Naga City but happened to be in Tinaan when the landslide occurred early in the morning of September 19, 2018.
When the landslide happened, Dublin said Geonzon was only in Tinaan because she was asked by a niece to to look after her child.
“Dimalas lang kaayo kay ato gyud higayona nahitabo pud ang landslide,” said Dublin, who turned 50 this year.
(It was very unfortunate that the landslide happened while she was there.)
For now, Dublin said they can only pray that his cousin and the rest of the victims of the massive landslide will find eternal rest.
“We no longer hope that we will find the other parts of her body. We only pray that she will be at peace now wherever she is,” Dublin said in Cebuano.
Most of the victims of the Naga City landslide were laid to rest at the city’s Naalad Public Cemetery.
Flowers were seen in front of many of the tombs of the landslide victims as of this afternoon.
Almost all of the tombs already had lighted candles on them, indicating that family members already visited the graves. /elb